J.J. Watt will return to the football field for the first time in nearly 11 months next Wednesday, and he won't be on the sidelines.

The Texans defensive end will play in Houston's first preseason game against the Panthers, coach Bill O'Brien told reporters Saturday. It will be Watt's first game action since Week 3 of 2016, and you can watch him take the field live on NFL Network at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Watt sat out most of 2016 with a back injury, but has been practicing without serious incident in Texans camp so far. His return and the emergence of a healthy Jadeveon Clowney have Texans coaches and fans salivating over the front seven's potential.

While we doubt Watt and Clowney will play more than one series, much less one quarter, against Carolina, our first glimpse of the dynamic duo in action since last September should be enough to quench our thirst for Texans hype.